Improving the Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminum Via Ultrasonication-Induced Microstructural Refinement

Conference · Sun Mar 19 04:00:00 EDT 2023

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22532-1_57· OSTI ID:1968444

Rader, Katherine E. ^[1]; Darsell, Jens T. ^[1]; Helgeland, Jon L. ^[1]; Canfield, Nathan L. ^[1]; Roosendaal, Timothy J. ^[1]; Nickerson, Ethan K. ^[1]; Denny, Adam C. ^[1]; Rohatgi, Aashish ^[1]

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1. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)

One barrier to the broader use of cast aluminum alloys in automotive applications is their poor mechanical properties, especially compared to wrought materials. This study investigates the use of ultrasound to refine the microstructure of cast aluminum alloys during solidification and thus improve their mechanical properties. An A356 aluminum alloy (Al-Si-Mg) with added Fe (to mimic a recycle-grade alloy) was cast in a graphite mold with the simultaneous application of ultrasound. Tensile specimens were extracted from the castings and heat treated to a T6 temper. Ultrasonication during casting transformed the morphology of primary aluminum grains from dendritic (~140 microns in size) to globular (~36 microns in size), increased the ultimate tensile strength by 10 %, and tripled the ductility compared to casting without ultrasound. This improvement in strength and ductility demonstrates the potential for ultrasonic processing to improve the performance of cast aluminum alloys without altering their chemistry or additional post-processing.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1968444
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-177512
• Country of Publication: Switzerland
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Aluminum
Solidification
Ultrasound
Grain refinment
Recyle